Vengeance Redux
by skycloud86
Summary: Alternate ending version of the Hunt For Vengeance, plus the resulting events. Events occur over much of the time between Days Three and Four.
1. Alternate Ending

_**A/N – This is an alternate version of The Hunt For Vengeance, which starts at around 5am of the original story. This chapter is the alternate 6-7am episode, and then the story moves forward a few months and begins a whole new day for Alex, Jack and CTU. For the purposes of this story, the events of THFV are slightly different.**_

**6.00am, Watsonville Municipal Airport**

The deal had been completed, and Cassar smirked as he boarded the plane, knowing that Alex was secured in the luggage compartment. Although CTU had been close to catching him and stopping his plot, he had managed to keep them away long enough to complete his plan.

The CTU SUVs sped into the airport, heading straight for Hangar 24, only for the agents to watch as Cassar's plane began to move out of it. Jack aimed a gun at the pilot, but knew that it ultimately going to be useless to shoot at such a distance and such an angle, and as the plane took off, all Jack could think of was his friend who was in the plane. Michelle looked at him, and could tell that he was not only angry at himself, but distraught. Approaching him, she put an arm around his shoulder.

"We'll get him back, Jack, don't worry," Michelle whispered as the other agents returned to the cars. Jack nodded before looking up into the sky, which was starting to lighten as the day approached.

**6.05am, Cassar's plane, above Watsonville**

Inside the luggage compartment, Alex was concerned. They had been able to take off, and now he was on his way to Mexico. Worried that he was potentially only hours away from losing all free will and thought, he wondered where CTU were, and told himself that they would rescue him from Cassar. The compartment in which he was being kept was small and dark, and Alex knew that apart from him, it was empty. He could hear people above him talking, and as he heard Cassar's booming laugh, he tried to keep himself defiant.

**6.10am, CTU Los Angeles**

Sarah Henderson had just arrived at CTULA, hoping to see Alex. The flight had been hastily booked and she was exhausted, but she knew it was worth it to see one of her oldest and closest friends. Wondering where everyone was, she approached Erin.

"Sarah, I have some bad news. They got to the airport, but they were too late. Cassar has taken Alex by air somewhere. We're trying to track the plane," Erin spoke, and Sarah's face was drained of colour. Sitting down on a nearby chair, she tried hard not to cry.

"You have to find him, you can't let anything happen to him!," Sarah replied, her voice pleading and her brown eyes watery.

"We're doing everything we can at the moment, Sarah. We know he's heading south, so that's something," Erin told her.

**6.15am, CTU Watsonville**

Jack and Michelle were now in a helicopter heading for CTULA from CTUW. The pair, both weary and upset, were trying to keep their minds on the mission to stop the Cordilla virus threat, instead of Alex, who they hoped would understand.

"He never told me what he was planning to do to Alex. I didn't even know until I managed to escape," Michelle said, her voice quiet as she gazed out of the window.

"You can't blame yourself, Michelle. None of us knew," Jack replied. It had only been thanks to the confession of Evan Sackhoff that they had even the slightest idea of what Cassar had planned for Alex.

**6.20am, Cassar's plane**

Alex had been surprised when two arms grabbed at him and, as he was pulled up into the main part of the plane and the blindfold and gag taken off, Cassar looked down at him. He saw the young agent kneeling down, his hands tied tightly in front of him, his eyes trying to adjust to the light, and he also saw the future Alex, the one he knew would replace Nina.

"Your friends didn't even try and stop us, Alex. They didn't even come to the airport and try and save you. They probably don't even know where you are," Cassar spoke, his voice serious and calm, hoping to convince him that he had been abandoned. Alex looked up at him and laughed.

"You don't know Jack, you don't know CTU and you certainly don't know me!," Alex replied, a smirk on his face, whilst at the same time trying not to let the growing doubts in his mind get any worse. Cassar nodded.

"Alex, I got the impression from people I have within CTU that Jack doesn't even like you, that you are pretty much useless to him or CTU. In fact, I'm surprised he didn't kill you when he shot Nina, because you would only remind him of her," Cassar informed him, and Alex grew angry. Looking at Cassar with furious eyes, his voice was loud and defiant.

"It's not going to work, Cassar! All this bullshit you're trying to feed me? It won't work!," Alex spoke, and part of him realised that Cassar had gotten to him.

"Very well, it looks like I should give you more time to think about what I've said. Put the blindfold and gag back on and put him back in his box," Cassar spoke, and Alex was soon returned to the luggage compartment.

Alone once more, Alex tried not to think about Cassar had just told him. He knew that Jack would not have done anything that Cassar described, but he also knew that Jack had been at times almost an enemy, and he certainly knew that after Nina's death he had wondered if Jack would want him anywhere nearby.

As Cassar sat down again, he considered possible tactics that he could use to brainwash Alex. The lies he was feeding to the agent were suitable enough for early indoctrination, but it would be less effective as time went on. Taking a drink from a bottle of water, he checked the time. Noting that they would be at his Mexican base by midday, he smiled. All had gone to plan, and now he was close to finding a replacement for Nina Myers.

**6.30am, Kim's house, Valencia**

Kim had just been informed of Alex's predicament, and now she was in the bathroom trying to compose herself. Distraught, she wanted nothing more than to go to CTU and help in any way she could, but she couldn't do that if she was all upset. Leaving the bathroom, she was surprised to see Joseph standing outside the room.

"I heard someone crying. Are you OK?," Joseph asked, looking up at Kim.

"Yeah, I'm OK. I have to go somewhere now, but Chase is still here, OK?," Kim replied, and Joseph nodded before heading back to the guest room. As he did, Kim looked at the little boy and hoped that he didn't think Alex had abandoned him.

**6.35am, CTU Los Angeles**

As Jack and Michelle walked into CTU, they found barely anyone. It was as if the whole place had just been abandoned. Looking up to the SAIC's office, Jack noticed that Erin and Sarah were in there, talking. He explained to Michelle who Sarah Henderson was, before the pair sat at a nearby workstation. Even though they were tired, they wanted to keep updated on any sightings of Cassar's plane, which they had worked out was probably flying over the Pacific Ocean by now.

**6.40am, Cassar's plane**

Cassar was trying again, and this time he had a new tactic. Walking up to Alex, he offered him a drink of water, which he gratefully accepted. Smiling as he placed the bottle of water on a nearby table, Cassar decided to be calmer.

"I don't want to do this, Alex, but I have to if I'm going to help you," Cassar spoke in a gentle voice. Alex looked up at him with confusion.

"You would feel so much better if you let me help you, Alex. You have to stop trying to tell yourself that Jack is your friend, because he isn't, and you are harming yourself by feeding yourself this delusion," Cassar told him, and Alex looked away from him, only for Cassar to move his head back.

"What do you think you will achieve by doing this, Cassar?," Alex replied.

"I'm trying to free you from your deluded mindset, Alex. You seem determined to follow Jack, to do whatever he asks, to do whatever CTU asks of you, and it's not healthy, Alex," Cassar spoke, but Alex didn't reply. Sighing, Cassar stood up and motioned to two of his men to put him back in the luggage compartment. After blindfolding and gagging Alex once more, Cassar asked them to wait and knelt close to Alex.

"Please don't make me keep you tied up, Alex. I only want to help you, and if you keep fighting me, you will never be free in any sense of the word," Cassar told him, before gesturing to his men to put him in his makeshift cell.

**6.50am, CTU Los Angeles**

As Kim walked briskly into CTU, she noticed her father, who she quickly approached before embracing. She was glad that her father was safe.

"Kim, what are you doing here?," Jack asked, although he knew the answer already.

"I want to help find Alex, Dad, I need to," Kim replied. She knew that she would not be able to get him out of her mind, and so she was at CTU to help in any and every way that she could.

"Sweetheart, you can help as much as you want. We're going to find him and bring him back to Los Angeles," Jack assured her.

**6.55am, Cassar's plane**

Alex had once more been moved into the main compartment of the plane, and was once more being spoken to by Cassar on a subject he didn't want to hear about.

"You think Jack cared that you felt guilty about his wife's death, Alex? He felt glad, because he knew that you wouldn't dare betray anyone because you're so weak that you feel guilty for something you had no control over. Isn't that right, Alex?," Cassar spoke, and Alex was trying hard not to respond emotively.

"No, it isn't. Jack did care, he still does. I felt guilty because it was my sister who killed his wife," Alex replied, his voice quiet and monotonous. Cassar crouched down so that he was eye to eye with Alex.

"Alex, stop lying to yourself. None of them care about you. I bet they whispered behind your back for months after Nina was arrested, didn't they?," Cassar asked him, and Alex thought back to that time. He had felt like people were talking about him, but had never had any evidence of it. Jack had assured him that no one was doing it.

"You were just the brother of the traitor, Alex, weren't you? The new guy who was going to turn out to be just like his sister? Face it, Alex, they've never liked you there, and the people you consider friends? Nah, they aren't your friends. Maybe they don't wish to act on it or even show it, Alex, but they are your enemies! I'm correct, aren't I?," Cassar spoke to Alex, whose was staring at the floor. Lifting his head slowly, his eyes showed resignation.

"Yes...they are my enemies," he replied.


	2. Defeat

_**A few days later...**_

**9.45am, Cassar's base, Central Mexico**

Alex's mental state had begun to shift, and Cassar reacted to this by allowing him to spend more and more time outside of the tiny outdoor cell that he was imprisoned in. Alex no longer showed any defiance, although there was the occasional anger, but this was punished by a swift return to the cell. As Alex sat inside Cassar's house on the base, Cassar looked at him, hoping that Alex would soon be the terrorist he wanted.

"What is your opinion of CTU, Alex?," Cassar asked.

"Liars and murderers"

"Are you loyal to the United States of America?"

"I am loyal to no country, especially not the United States of America"

"And your opinion of Jack Bauer?"

"A liar, a murderer and a criminal," Alex replied once more, and Cassar looked at him with satisfaction. Instructing one of his men to take off the handcuffs that restrained Alex, he smiled as the young agent rubbed his wrists.

"Samuel, make sure our friend here is given a good meal. I want him to be ready for this afternoon," Cassar instructed one of the men, before walking towards his office.

**10.00am, CTU Los Angeles**

Jack was frustrated. He had spent hours of every day since Alex had been taken by Cassar looking for him, but there was no sign of Alex, Cassar or the plane anywhere. Even so, the cordilla virus had been successfully secured and destroyed, but Jack had had no time to relax after that threat was over.

"Jack, it's not looking good, is it?," Sarah Henderson asked. She had been given permission from Josh Papierski, the SAIC of CTU Chicago, to stay at CTULA until Alex had been found. Jack looked at her sympathetically.

"Even though we can't find any trace of him, it doesn't mean that we won't. From what I can tell, I don't think Cassar wishes to kill him, but as he hasn't contacted us, I'm assuming that he isn't going to exchange Alex for a ransom," Jack replied.

**12.00pm, Cassar's base, Central Mexico**

Cassar and Alex were outside and, for the first time in days, Alex was neither locked up or chained up. He was now convinced that Jack was his enemy, that CTU did not view him as anything more than a potential traitor, and that he had been abandoned. In Cassar he saw a sort of father figure, someone who could teach him a lot, and he was willing to learn.

"Alex, over the coming months, I will be planning something that will hurt Jack Bauer and CTU. I want you to be involved," Cassar spoke, looking at Alex as he did. He wanted to be absolutely sure that Alex was not pretending, that he really had been brainwashed.

"I'll do it, Nestor," Alex replied, and Cassar smiled at the use of his first name. To him, it was a small victory that carried a lot of significance – Alex was now on his side, and saw him as a friend.


End file.
